The road and the land around it have gained notoriety over the years as an area rife with many legends of paranormal occurrences such as sightings of ghosts, strange creatures, and gatherings of witches, Satanists, and the Ku Klux Klan.

[6] On May 18, 1983, the body of Daniel Deppner was found when a cyclist riding down Clinton Road in a wooded area of West Milford, New Jersey, spotted the corpse being eaten by a turkey vulture.

[8][9] The different areas along or near Clinton Road have been much cited as the setting of urban legends, especially by the publication Weird NJ, which has devoted numerous articles to the subject.

[10] In 1905, English born railroad official and banker Richard James Cross built a massive stone Tudor summer home, resembling a castle, on high land near the reservoir for his wife and three children.

"[17] Later in the 20th century, it fell into ruin after a fire had destroyed part of it, and thus became a popular destination for hikers and local teenagers looking for secluded locations to camp out and have parties.